The present invention relates to a utility meter adapter, and more particularly to an adapter for retrofitting a utility meter to support remote data collection.
Advances in living standards may be attributed in part to the development and commercialization of various utility products such as electricity and gas. In allocating costs associated with these utility products, utility companies typically gauge consumption using meters and bill their customers accordingly. Traditionally, at the end of a reporting period, a utility employee physically inspects and records each customer's meter readout dials which reflect usage. The recorded data is eventually re-entered into an accounting system for billing purposes. This process is labor intensive and duplicative. Moreover, the meter reading process may be disrupted by unplanned nuisances such as dogs and inclement weather. Further, this process cannot provide time-of-day metering so that the utility company can charge for the utility product as a function of load factors.
Attempts have been made in recent years to develop automatic meter reading systems which can automatically capture consumption data from the field. Although existing meters may be replaced with new meters that provide an automatic meter reading capability, such a wholesale replacement is uneconomical in light of the large number of meters that need to be updated. Thus, adapter modules have been developed which allow existing meters to be retrofitted to provide the remote data collection capability economically until the older meters have been completely phased out. The use of adapter modules also enables meter manufacturers to continue their production of standard meters while providing an optional capability of remote data collection when required by the customer.
Although cost effective, certain adapter modules have been found to be unreliable in the field, requiring that they be replaced. These problems stem in part from weak structural supports between the adapter module and the original meter housing. These adapter modules are more susceptible to shear forces than the original meter and thus more fragile.
Additionally, some adapter modules are susceptible to invasive and noninvasive tampering attempts which may prevent these adapter modules from operating properly. Further, certain adapter modules may have profiles that prevent them from being used in low profile applications.
Further, adapter modules may provide inadequate weatherproofing for their power supplies. Alternatively, certain adapter modules may use an excessive amount of weatherproofing such as by injecting sealants to completely fill the inside of the modules. In such instances, the power supplies such as batteries are not field-replaceable.
Moreover, certain adapter modules are typically complex to assemble and may require considerable time and effort to install in the field. In this respect, they may be expensive to deploy.